Poly-2-pyrrolidone is the source of a useful white synthetic fiber for the textile industry. The melt-spinnable white solid polymer is produced by the alkaline-catalyzed polymerization of 2-pyrrolidone in the presence of carbon dioxide (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,652). Polypyrrolidone so produced is melt-spun into filaments by extrusion from multi-hole spinnerets. In melt spinning, the polymer composition is extruded in a molten condition at a melt temperature which is generally greater than about 277.degree. C. The extrusion must be carried out with care because of the tendency of the polymer to thermally degrade and revert to monomer. Degradation produces an unacceptable extrudate which may contain foam or bubbles. If the extrusion is attempted at an appreciably lower temperature to avoid thermal decomposition, fibers of lower tensile strength are produced. Consequently, in order to melt-extrude poly-2-pyrrolidone efficiently, one may either seek to decrease the melt temperature, or decrease the residence time at melt temperature, or to increase the thermal stability of the polymer, or to improve the extrudability of the polymeric composition. U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,181 reports that compositions containing 5-20 weight percent polypyrrolidone, the remainder being polyhexamethylene adipamide, are extrudable with no discernable degradation at the extrusion temperature. U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,301 reports the production of a 2-pyrrolidone polymer stabilized against thermal molecular weight degradation. This effect is reportedly achieved by the reaction of 2-pyrrolidone and hexamethylene diamine (0.05-3 mol percent) during the polymerization of 2-pyrrolidone. The latter patent also reports that if hexamethylene diamine is admixed with polypyrrolidone after the polymerization, the useful effect is not achieved. U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,893 reports a number of substances, which are purportedly useful in the extrusion of polypyrrolidone compositions. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The process for the melt extrusion of the composition comprising a major amount of normally solid poly-2-pyrrolidone and a minor amount of a C.sub.2 -C.sub.30 alkylamine. The composition is produced by admixing a small amount of said alkylamine with normally solid poly-2-pyrrolidone. The composition may be extruded from the melt at temperatures of 260.degree.-280.degree. C to produce a yarn having a tensile factor of about 18, or more.